Teaching Standards: Domains and Propositions

Teaching Standards

by Sophia

for University

Teaching Standards: Domains and Propositions

Danielson strongly recommends that a teacher focus on four primary teaching domains. These domains include preparing and planning for instruction; establishing a positive classroom environment; developing solid instruction; and maintaining professional responsibilities. Danielson believes that a framework conveys to the public that educators belong to a professional community (2007, p.1). The framework also provides an organizational structure that assists teachers in the ultimate goal: engaging learners with effective and meaningful instruction (p.26). Further, all of the domains are correlated to the core propositions that NBPTS outline.

In order for effective instruction to take place, teachers must plan and prepare. At this point, teachers identify their objectives and plan instruction that will help students to achieve those objectives. The first domain is directly corresponds with several of the core propositions outlined in the NBPTS. Teachers should engage in learning communities as part of this preparation. They should also know the subject matter they teach; however, most importantly, they should believe all students should learn—the concept that is the cornerstone for the first proposition (NBPTS, 2010).

Before students enter the classroom, the teacher must have identified the goals and objectives that they must meet. Teachers must also identify how to assess students’ progress to ensure that the goals are being achieved. In education, a goal is the overarching aim. Objectives, on the other hand, are specific markers that demonstrate whether or not a student is meeting the goal. Objectives are more tangible and can be observed. For example, a goal may be for the students to write clear narratives. An objective in the narrative writing process may be for students to demonstrate their knowledge of how to organize a narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

The first domain helps teachers to identify the goals that students must achieve. In order to help students meet their goals, teaches must plan instruction with clear objectives that can be assessed. A teacher may teach strategies like outlining, brainstorming, and prewriting that the students can complete to demonstrate that they are working toward the goal. In order to provide instruction, which is the third domain, teachers must know the goals or objectives and plan accordingly. They must also know their students, the material they are teaching, what resources are available, and have assessments in place.

For students to learn, a positive classroom environment must be in place. Danielson’s second domain directly corresponds to the NBPTS first proposition. The teacher must establish an environment of respect and one that has clearly established rules and procedures. The classroom layout must be accessible and inviting. In addition, teachers must know how to handle student behavior to ensure that learning can take place (2007, p.3).

Once the teacher has planned and prepared and established a classroom environment, instruction, which is the third domain, can occur. Danielson’s third domain is aligned with the NBPTS’s third proposition. It asserts that teachers must know how students learn and they must also know how to engage them. They also use different means for assessing learning, and they know how to measure individual student’s learning as well as the entire class (NBPTS, 1987). According to Danielson’s domain, teachers must also be flexible and persistent (2007, p.5).

Danielson’s fourth domain maintains that teachers communicate with parents, engage in active and ongoing reflection, and demonstrate professionalism. This domain is aligned with two of the NBPTS core propositions. The fourth and fifth propositions contend that teachers must be members of a larger teaching community, and they must also engage in active reflection. In doing so, they strengthen their knowledge of the content they are teaching. They also combine efforts to make instruction more beneficial for their students. This ultimately provides them the support, background, and experience they need to become the best possible educators.

The domains and the propositions provide educators with the tools they need to demonstrate to the public that their efforts in educating children are concerted and meaningful. Just as teachers demand the best from their students, Danielson’s domains and the NBPTS core propositions give teachers the foundation to do this. Danielson believes, however, that the “most powerful use of the framework—and one that should accompany any other use—is for reflection and self-assessment” (2007, p.168). She further believes that it is the thinking about what has been done that makes a difference (169). If teachers reflect and then act on their reflections to improve themselves, then the learning experience for children will also improve.

References

Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

NBPTS. (1987). The Five Core Propositions. Retrieved on April 29, 2011, from